St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-07
CHINA,s LARGE OPIUM DEN,
Where the Clouds of Smoke Go Up
necessarily All Day Long.

A writer in the North China Herald
describes the Nan-gin-tsin, the greatest
opium den in China. 1t is situated in
the French Concession in Shanghai,
within a stones throw of the wall ofthe
native city, within which no opium shops
are supposed to exist. The thrOngS
visiting it represent all stations of life,
from the coOlie to the wealthy merchant
or the small mandarin. 1t is with diff
Guilty that one gets inside through the
crowds of people hanging round the door.
Those who have not the requisite num-
Der of copper cash to procure the bane-
full pipe watch with horrible usefulness
each of the more affiuent pass in with a
nervous, hurried step, or tOtter out
wearing that peculiar daZed expression
which comes after the smokers craving
has been satisfied and his transient
pleasure has passed away. One requires
a strong stomach to stand the Sickening
fumes with which the air inside is
thickened. The clouds of smoke, the
dim light from the numerous colOred
lamps, the numbers of reclining forms
with distorted faces bent over the small
flames at which the pipes are lighted
cause the novice a sickening sensation.
But as soon as the eye becomes accus-
place is got up on an expensive scale.
In the center of the lower room hangs
one of the finest of Chinese lamps, the
ceiling is of richly carved wood, while
the painted walls are thickly inlaid with
a peculiarly marked marble, which gives
the idea of unfinished landscape
sketches. Numerous doors on all sides
lead to the smokers apartments. In
the outer portion of the building stands
a counter covered with little boxes of the
drug ready for smoking, which dozen
assistants are kept busy handing out to
the servants who wait upon the habitueS
of the place. The average daily receipts
are said to be about e200. The smoking
apartments are divided into four classes.
In the cheapest are coolies, who
pay about 4d. for their smoke. In the
dearest the smoke costs about I'd. The
drug supplied in each class is much the
same both in quality and quantity; it is
the difference in the pipes that regulates
the price. The best kinds are made of
ivory, the stem being often inlaid with
stones and Remembered more costly by
reason of elaborate carving: the cheap
est kinds are made simply of hard wood.
The rooms also are furnished accord
ing to class. In the most expensive the
lounge upon which the smoker reclines
is OF hne velvet, With pillows or the same
material: the frames of each couch are
inlaid with mOther-Of-pearl and jade,
and the whole air of these rooms is
one of sensuous luxury. There is also
number of private rooms. In the
poorer section will be seen many
Wearers of the tattered yellow and gray
robes of Buddhist aid Tavist priests.
Women form a fair proportion of the
smokers. The common belief is that the
opium sleep is attended by mild,
pleasurable delirium, with brief chances
of Elysium; but this is the exception not
the rule. People smoke to satisfy the
craving begotten of previous indulgence.
There is accommodation for $50 smok-
ers at time, and there is seldom va
cancy very long. The stream of smok-
ers goes on from early morning till mid
night, when the place closes; the clouds
of smoke go up necessarily all day long.